How to Survive the New Berk
by Zelenal
Summary: Post movie-verse. The title may change if I think of  or am suggested  a better name. A viking settles into the changes brought about to Berk by Hiccup while dealing with his inability to bond with a dragon. Rated T for safety and later chapters.
1. Introductory Exposition

A couple of things first. I am basing this story off of the detailed time line laid out by Fjord Mustang's _To Soar Into the Sunset: A Night Fury's Odd Memoir_ (with his kind permission to do so). As such, there will be some references to it. Namely some small things like names and references to events that happened only in his fanfic as well as certain abilities and such. So thoughtspeach, Dreampaths, Signalers, and the like belong to him. Also, as the chapter title says, this is just the opening exposition as such it's a little short and the real fun starts in the next chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I only own one character in this fic. No points for guessing who it is.

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><p>This is Berk. The weather is fairly erratic and the ocean is constantly freezing. The animals here are tough and stubborn and the people even more so. There are some perks though. Most people have horses or mules as steeds while others have dogs or cats as pets. Not us though. We have... dragons.<p>

It had been several months since Hiccup had recovered from the battle against the Red Death. In that time, he set up shop in the Kill Ring- or rather, the Training Grounds- to train the other Vikings in the finer arts of bonding with a dragon (As the process goes both ways. If the dragon doesn't like you then you will get thrown off).

In that time, the dragons had also melded very easily into out society. They helped with carrying wood and hauling in fish (especially since that's what they ate). The medium sized ones, mainly Gronckles, also helped with home repair when possible. The smaller ones, mainly Terrible Terrors, would help with the smaller things like small home repair, sewing, and even helping Gobber at the blacksmith.

Yeah, life was great. Unless your like me and haven't bonded with a dragon in all that time (not due to lack of trying, of course). I'm not the only one, mind you. Several people haven't either. Although most of them don't want to bond with one. They don't hate them, per say, it's just hard for them to get past what they did in the past. Sure, the dragons weren't in control of themselves and because of that the humans don't blame them but a wound is a wound.

Of course, some dragons shared a similar sentiment. Those dragons would general stay away from the village and mind their own business. Some of them do come out to eat or help with logs and fish but not much outside of that. Some of them are more disgruntled though. Those didn't even come to the village and, on rare occasions, would still attack us. Given that we can also take to the skies they never do much damage. Some of them fled and returned to attack or try to befriend us, others came back to live with the others, others just never returned. We did manage to talk some of them down and lead them to where the others were staying.

Now back to myself so you can know who's giving this exposition. My name is Arnbjörn Arnfastarson I've lived in Berk for twenty years now but my family had moved here about five years before that (thus my name which is common where my family is from). I completed my standard dragon training three years before Hiccup and was a part of the raid on the Red Death's nest. I have killed dragons, in case you were wondering. I didn't like it but back then it was either kill or be killed. I never really thought of trying to befriend one. Even if I had, I don't think I could have done what Hiccup did. By and far, that kid is braver than all of us.

Anyway, I'm not quite as stocky as the Hairy Hooligans but I'm also not like Hiccup or Ástríður. Things are very strange here, according to my family. As they said my build, as well as theirs, is perfectly normal for a man from Scandinavia. I had a Gaelic accent although I could pull of a Scandinavian one if I wanted too. Just a random skill, I suppose.

Now back to Berk. We had, thankfully, just gotten into the warmer part of the spring months. A delightful change of pace from one of the harshest winters I've ever seen. While snow did have a beauty of its own, I hated the cold and preferred the green of the trees and grass. Really, winter's kind of depressing for me as very few types of vegetation live during those months.

Yeah, I know a bit about the local flora. I don't quite know the names of all of them but I generally know which ones are edible and which ones are used for healing. I know, I know. Why would a Viking who's not Hiccup nor the village healer (among other things) know that? Well, as I said earlier, I haven't bonded with a dragon. I'm also neither a farmer nor a rancher so I have had a lot of time to fill. I've picked up a lot of random skills from these months, really.

Now, let's change subjects again, shall we? I mentioned much earlier that Hiccup had been holding classes about bonding with dragons. These classes first taught you what dragons do and do not like, how to treat them, and other general knowledge. From there, after you had befriended your dragon, he taught you the proper way to ride them as well as how to put a saddle on them and how to make sure they aren't getting hurt in anyway. There was also one more class for a select few. These select few, namely the Original Five, learned more advanced flight techniques and a bit about aerial combat.

I have been to the first class a countless number of times, the second I've observed from a distance a couple of times, and I learned a bit about the third while talking with one of them (mainly Hiccup). So yeah, Hiccup learned my face having seen it so many times. I would also stick around after the classes and help clean up. I wouldn't call him a friend, per say, but I know I can count on him in times of need and I think he feels the same way. This did have the advantages of letting me learn some random bits of pieces of his time with Toothless. It was interesting and a few of his stories did teach me some miniscules trivia regarding the behavior of Night Furies. Not entirely sure what I'd do with that though.

So yeah. That's pretty much covers the major of events of Berk (at least the ones that I know of) and teaches you a bit about myself so you're not dealing with a total stranger. As for the here and now, it's about time for me to head out for Hiccup's class yet again. If anything, it does help Hiccup as I've memorized the lesson by heart so I can help in teaching a bit. I was also excited about today. Somewhere in my heart, I felt that today was finally going to be the day I bonded with a dragon.

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><p>The names Arnbjörn and Arnfastr are actual Old Norse names that follow their naming conventions with "Arnfastarson" being how Viking last names were (it literally means "Son of Arnfastr"). If you want to know how to pronounce them, Google "Viking Answer Lady". That's how I found out that stuff as well.<p> 


	2. The New Dragon Training

HUZZAH! I managed to finish it on schedule (Well, sort of)! Here's to hoping I don't cut it so close next time!

I'm using sco. Wikipedia .org 's Scots-English dictionary for the accent so that's really helped out. If you guys are having trouble reading it then say the word and if enough people agree, I'll use the pseudo-Gaelic accent most people are familiar with when it comes to written work. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

**Disclaimer**: Technically, I own two characters in this one. Everyone else? Not a chance.

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><p>I stretched in the sunlight as he walked across the wooden bridge to the Training Grounds. It still had the iron cage on top of it. There had been much debate over whether it should be removed or not but after one or two incidents involving a rampaging dragon due to some poor guy's mistake made pretty much everyone agree it should be left on for safety.<p>

I nodded at Ástríður as he passed her. She would be the one to man the gate so the others could be let out after the lesson. You see, the cage was also left on as a show of trust. True, the dragons couldn't get out once the gate was shut but neither could the humans. The gates only being able to be opened from the outside was a safety feature from when it was the Kill Ring. Then it was used to keep the dragons in. Now it is used to say something along the lines of "Yeah, ye cannna get out on yer own but neither can we. So we'll trust ye to nae eat us if ye trust us to nae imprison ye." Yeah, that didn't make much sense to me either but keeping an accidentally provoked dragon caged and away from the rest of the village proved to be a mighty good argument.

"Mornin', Hiccup, Toothless," I waved at the duo. "Morning, Arnbjörn," Hiccup called over his shoulder as Toothless nodded in his direction, "You think today will finally be the day?" I leaned against a wall, "A hope so. Then A can finally stop comin' to yer classes." The Dragon Whisperer look away from whatever he was working on and glared at me, "Ha, ha. Very funny."

"A ken. Aren't A just brilliant?" I return snarked. "Oh _já_," he returned to his work, "A real comedy genius." We both chuckled as Toothless just rolled his eyes. This had become rather habitual for us. A snark-off really is a good way to start a day.

We stayed silent for a time. I let my thoughts wonder to different things before curiosity got the better of me, "So, whit are ye makin'?" Hiccup looked back at me, "Huh? Oh. Nothing. Just tinkering." With the he went back to his work before making a vague motion with his head towards the gate. I nodded for some reason before settling into the wall. I was curious as to what he was making for Ástríður but I'd find out soon enough. Probably.

I sighed as I scratched the back of my head. I didn't really describe myself very well last time, did I? My hair (and beard) is a dark goldenrod/dirty blond color. It comes down to around my shoulders and my beard and mustache have been trimmed. Somewhat like Spitelout, I suppose, but a bit fuller. Of course, a lot of people had shorter hair and/or beard now. We found out the hard way that those and flying don't mix well (but that's another story). Almost everyone's clothing had also gone back a couple of notches although some people still managed the somewhat insane style and yet be safe. (How they did this only Óðinn knows). Of course, those who didn't fly dragons (for any reason) kept their normal hair length and clothing style.

I was snapped from my thoughts by the sound of people talking near the gate. I glanced to my left and saw, to my surprise, Spitelout walk into the Training Grounds. "Guid mornin, Hiccup, Toothless, Arnbjörn," he greeted. "Mornin, Spitelout. Finally managed to get away from wirk?" I asked Stoik's right-hand-man. "Aye. Stoik gave me the day off so A though A'd come here. It's about time A bonded wi a dragon."

"Well then, A hope ye hae better luck than me."

"Been havin' trouble?"

"Ye dinna ken the hauf o it," I didn't really feel the need to elaborate further. There was some idol chatter between us but we mostly kept silent as three more students came it. After the fifth one was in, Hiccup put away whatever he was working on and nodded towards Ástríður signaling for her to close the gate. He and Toothless walked out in front of us. "Alright class. Today's the day your going to learn about dragons. Specifically, how to befriend them. First thing's first: This is just a generalization. Each dragon has a different personality and will probably have a different set of likes and dislikes. However, what I'm going to teach you seems to be imbedded in the species as a whole so you should have no problems.

"Now that that's out of the way, the first thing you need to know is that dragons- all dragons- can understand every word we're saying. I'm not talking about reading your emotions through your tone either. They can understand Norse rather well but only after they've bonded with you. Neither of us are sure exactly how that works but it does.

"When you bond with a dragon, don't expect them to act like a pet or a horse. A dragon that you've bonded with should be your best friend. Someone you can count on no matter what happens. As such, you should treat them that way. That means that you have to cooperate with them. When you're riding a dragon, you aren't telling them where to go, you're making a suggestion with pressure for your thighs, you hands on occasions, and your thoughts."

"Wait a minute, did you say 'your thoughts'?" one of the kids in the class asked. "_Já_. Dragons have a telepathic ability. They talk to each other that way and can also hear our thoughts," Hiccup explained. "So, thay can hear any of wir thoughts at any time?" Spitelout pointed out. "No," Hiccup was quick to correct, "They can only hear the thoughts of the people they've bonded with or anyone who is touching them."

"Richt now?" Spitelout was a bit incredulous. "_Já,_" Hiccup paused, _"_If you don't believe me then Toothless doesn't mind proving it."

"Whit dae A hae to dae?"

"Nothing much. Just repeat a sentence over and over in your head and touch Toothless. He'll then pass your thought onto me and I'll say it out loud."

Spitelout paused to think of something before cautiously touching Toothless. There was silence for a moment before Hiccup spoke while imitating a Gaelic accent, "A am gye impressed wi this. Tae think that dragons could dae this the hail time." Spitelout removed his hand and returned to the others, "Well, A'll be. Will wonders niver cease?" The boy who had spoken first spoke up again, "I still can't believe it." I interrupted Hiccup before he could begin, "Think o it this wye: When the dragons attacked wir village, the Deadly Nadders tended tae gae for the sheep, the Gonckles would gae for the heavier things, Monstrous Nightmares... well thay pretty much just attacked us, Hideous Zipplebacks would blow up buildings, and Toothless here," I glanced at and gestured to said dragon, "would blow up wir catapults."

As I said that, I glanced away from Toothless as I thought about all those times I spent weeks rebuilding them just for them to get blown up. I had done it so many times, for a while there I had building catapults on the brain. If you asked me to solve a problem, I'd tell you how to build a catapult. If you asked me if I had a spare sharpening stone, I'd tell you how to build a catapult. If you asked if I wanted to go to a birthday party, I'd tell you how to build a catapult. Really, my heart sank every time I heard "NIGHT FURY! GET DOWN!" as I new I'd have to rebuild the catapults. You probably can imagine how I felt the first couple of times Hiccup said he killed a Night Fury just to find out he didn't. Really, that was probably what stopped me from being that guy's legit friend when he had none. If you think it's a petty reason then you don't understand what I went through.

"Dae ye think thay'd be able tae dae that without some advanced form o communication?" I finished. "Good point," he said. "O course it is," I boasted somewhat proudly, "On ye gae, Hiccup." Hiccup nodded at me, "Thank you, Arnbjörn." I waved him off, "Naw problem."

"Okay, any more questions?" silence, "Good." And so the lesson continued. I didn't really pay much attention as I've heard it all a million times.

There was a surprisingly few number of questions from this group. After Hiccup was done explaining the basics, Toothless flew off through he upper gate to get the group of dragons that volunteered for today's class. We stayed silent for a time before Hiccup spoke up, "All right. Now that you all know the basics, it's time to try to find a friend. Mind you, these are just a few of the dragons out there. Ignoring there nest on the other end of the island, there's several dragons who fly around the village that have yet to bond with someone. Just because you don't form a bond here doesn't mean you can't ever." I knew those words were more for me than anyone else.

It was then that Toothless returned with the other dragons. There were five in total, just like the class. There was a Windwalker (a completely harmless baby blue dragon that makes a great medic), a Gronckle (I think you should know about those), a Sniffer Dragon (a small, pale aquamarine dragon that is great at tracking but not much else. Very friendly), a Deadly Nadder, and a Puff Nadder (very similar to a Deadly Nadder but has a long neck, paralyzing poison, and breathes superheated smoke). And interesting group today, to say the least.

I decided to stay back for now and just watch the others. This was a lot easier for us than it was for Hiccup due to these dragons already being open to the idea of a rider. The was it usually worked for when the bond was formed in the class was for one of the two to single the other out. They'd walk up to each other with the Viking scratching the dragon's neck or maybe offering a fish (sharing food just happened to be a major thing in both our culture and the dragons'). The viking would also talk to them and such. Of course, that's what happens physically. According to both Hiccup and my own observations, the real deciding factor happens on an emotional level.

Very few bonds were formed here, though. Most of them were formed in various places around the village. Some people fond that one of the dragons from their class would come to them while others fond that their dragon just kind of dropped by when they were alone to see what was going on or something. While those are the three most common ways, there are many more of them. Some of the stories can get rather bizarre as well (Really makes me wonder how many of them are true).

Out of all of them, only one seemed to be getting along well with a dragon. It was that kid who had asked Hiccup to elaborate on dragon's hearing out thoughts. He seemed to be getting along very well with the Windwalker. It's nice to see stuff like that happen from time to time. Best of all, if he does bond with him, we'll have ourselves another medic.

While I was looking around, Hiccup came up to me, "Aren't you going to go up to one of them." I glanced at him, "Nah. Nae yet. A'm curious tae see how the others dae. When thay're about done, A'll gae an talk tae them." He nodded and returned his attention back to the others. Spitelout seemed to not be having much luck. He wasn't having trouble getting along, it's just that the emotional bond wasn't there. Maybe I wasn't the only one with that problem.

Finally, I decided to go and mingle. I didn't feel anything right off the bat with these dragons but maybe I just needed to talk to one of them first. First, I decided to talk to the Gronckle. They can be rather amusing, really. Very loyal and friendly. Out of all the dragons I've seen, I'd have to say Gronkles are the most dog-like. That's not a bad thing though.

"Hey thare, Gronckle," I began somewhat sheepishly. Okay, step one: scratch them. "Ye enjoyin' yerself?" I think he nodded. "Guid. The day is a fine day," I swear, no matter how many times I do this it still feels awkward. Maybe when I actually find a Partner it won't. The dragon started to fly away, "Nice talkin tae ye tae." I sighed. Oh well. On to the next. I just nodded at the Puff Nadder. I've seen him before. The Deadly Nadder went just about as well as the Gronckle.

Well, it was the end of the class and today went just as well as every other day. Admittedly, I was disappointed as I felt that today was finally going to be the day. Maybe it would be but it certainly wasn't during the class. As usual, I stuck around and helped Hiccup clean up. "Don't worry Arnbjörn," he said cheerfully, "Today isn't over yet." I couldn't help but smile a bit, "Aye. That it isn't." He went back to his tinkering but put it away as Ástríður came over. "Well, I should be going. See you later!"

"Aye. See ye later," I called back before sighing again. Now I needed to figure out how I was going to spend this day. Maybe I'll come up with something on the way back home. Then again, maybe I won't. Hard to say really. Either way, I decided to head back.

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><p>Well, there you have it. It didn't cover as much as I originally planned but that's because I underestimated its length. I also barely managed to crack 2,000 words which is nice. Maybe I'll be able to top it next time around. Anyway, the two dragons in here that weren't in the film are from the books. You can read more about them if you Google "How to Train Your Dragon wiki". I'll probably be referring to it a bit for some variety in our dragons.<p>

Reading this and giving constructive criticism would be nice. I wouldn't mind and "I like this!"s either though. Flames will be used to cook fish for Toothless though.


	3. The Life of a Viking

Yeah, yeah. I know it's not Thursday. See, the thing is, keeping a schedule and keeping the quality high (hopefully) can be a hard thing to do. Especially when you have a busy life. I'll try to shoot for Thursdays but I sadly can make no promises.

I'd like to point out that not much happens in this chapter. This just shows us a bit of Arnbjörn's life so we can Ease Into the Adventure. I promise that the next chapter will have a lot more action. Also, I threw in two Shout Outs to "To Soar into the Sunset". No cookies for naming them.

Oh, and I updated "The New Dragon Training" to make it a bit longer.

**Disclaimer: **The dragons and Vikings don't belong to me. Neither does Knothead, for that matter.

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><p>I casually walked up the steps to my house after another day of failure at Dragon Training. It was somewhat out of the way due to being a new house ("New" as in "first built" not "recently built"). It was near the road that lead from the inner village to the forest. Lovely little spot, really. Very useful for when one wants to just disappear into the forest for a while. Come to think of it, I actually saw Hiccup pass by here many times when he was secretly taking care of Toothless. I just never really thought much of it since he almost always came back with herbs or mushrooms and his business is just that.<p>

Anyway, it's rather quaint. Like, well, pretty much every house here, it has one large main room and an attic. Once again, like most houses, the attic is my bedroom while the first floor is living area. So yeah. Nothing fancy.

Before I got to my door, I heard someone call out to me, "Hey! Arnbjörn!" I turned back to see Knothead pulling a cart. He seemed to be heading into the forest. "Hey, Knothead! Whit can A help ye wi?"

"Me and a few others are goin tae the forest tae get some wood. Wanna come help?"

"Sure! Let me grab ma ax an A'll be thare!" I went inside to do just that.

My home, as I've said before, was rather quaint. Ignoring the support beams that I had mounted lanterns to, there was a long table on the north-facing wall. I had draped a plaid cloth over it to make it look nicer but other than that the only thing on it was a candle to light at night and a lamp to take with me when needed. On the far westward wall was a claymore sword I had gotten from a Scot that had passed through here. I had used it in battle several times but that's a story I don't want to get into.

To the south was the staircase that led to my room, a weapons/tools rack, and a shield. There was another round table in the center with a couple of stools surrounding it of course but those got surprisingly little use. I went to my weapons rack and grabbed my ax. The entire thing was about the length of my arm with the blades being about one hand in width each. It was also my main weapon in combat but it had originally been used for wood cutting.

About halfway down my thighs, I had a belt that small loop on the outside. I used them to carry axes and small hammers so I could use my hands while carrying them. So the one on my right leg fulfilled its purpose as I slid the handle through the loop. I grabbed a smaller, single edges ax that I carried on my left leg in case I needed it.

With my tools gathered, I headed outside and joined Knothead. "So, how hae things been going?" he asked. "Guid. It's been a rather average day for me. How about ye? How's the wife and kid?"

"Thay've been doin fine. Ma son caught his first fish the day!"

"Really? Which one?"

"Gapgum."

"Well, congratulations! Whit was it?"

"A ten pound Icelandic cod."

"That's guid. Whit did he dae wi it?"

"He gave it tae his dragon, Firestorm."

"Well that was kind o him," I chuckled, "A still find it funny he named his dragon 'Firestorm'."

"Aye. Ma kid does hae his own wye o doing things. A suppose the kids aren't worried about keeping trolls away."

"Well, thay are naming dragons. Any troll that would cross a dragon wad be either be brave or be stupid."

"Aye, that thay would," we stayed in silence for a time until a thought crossed my mind. "Hmm..." I verbalized my thinking to catch his attention. "Penny for yer thoughts," he said. "Yer carrying the cart tae the forest. That means A get tae carry it back," I pointed out. "Aye. That's how it usually works," he chuckled. "Did ye ask me tae come for the company or so ye wouldn't have tae take the cart back?" I asked. "Hmm... A bit o both. Maistly the latter," I rolled my eyes as he gave me a cheesy grin. What was left of the trip was spent in silence.

When we got at the edge of the forest, I asked Knothead, "Who's turn is it?" He set the cart out of the way, "Yers, A think." I drew my ax and turned away from the forest. We've made a bit of a game out of choosing what tree we should start with. It's simple, really. One of us draws our ax and turns away from the forest. We close our eyes, turn around quickly, and throw it. Whatever tree it hits is the one we start with. Pointless? Yes. Fun? Enough to make it worth it. If you hit a tree too deep into the forest or managed to no hit a tree at all then the next person takes a shot at it.

Today, if you couldn't tell, was my turn. I slightly tossed my ax up so I could grab from the bottom of the handle. I closed my eyes, turned quickly, and threw it. A sharp "thunk" told me I hit a tree. I looked to see I had hit a suitable one although I was a little high. When I got to the tree, I was forced to jump in order to grab the handle and push against the tree to dislodge it. When I got behind the tree, I saw that Knothead already had his ax where we were going to begin. "Ready?" I asked as I drew my ax back. "Aye," he said. As he pulled his ax back, I swung mine towards the tree to hit where Knothead's ax had been. I dislodged it quickly and pulled it back as he swung his. It was a simple pattern but was quick and effective.

Your probably wondering where the others Knothead mentioned are. They were a bit farther down working on another section of the forest. We always cut down trees in pairs as two people were all you needed with the system we have.

We had a wide gap about one forth of the was through the tree when we stopped to work on the other side. Over there, we kept our swings as lined up as possible to make the hole as thin as possible. We do this so we can reliably control where the tree will fall. We didn't really talk much as we did this as there wasn't much to talk about and this can require a fair amount of concentration.

When we were almost through the tree, we quickly backed off. I gave the tree a gentle nudge to make it fall a bit faster. When tt hit the ground, it created a mighty "thud". I could even feel the force of the impact travel up my legs. It's a interesting feeling, really. Just be careful not to lose your balance fall on your ass.

"Should A cut it in half or will ye?" I asked Knothead. "A'll dae it this time. Ye can take the next," I nodded as I got to work. The first thing I did is put away my larger ax and pull out my smaller one. Told you I'd be needing this. I started with the smaller branches, the ones that could be used for basket weaving or for the start of a good fire. I threw those into a large basket that was in the cart. Next were the larger branches that would be good for small home repair, decorations, handles, and bows. Those went into the same basket. By the time I was done with that, Knothead had cut the tree in half and we moved both halves into the wagon.

This process repeated itself until the basket and wagon was full so we cut down about five trees. There were three other groups aside from us so that was about twenty trees all together. Not a bad days work if I do say so myself.

We decided to take a quick break before head back into the village. Given that it was well past noon and neither of us had eaten, Knothead gave me some jerky his wife packed. If there was anything Knothead's wife was good at, it was making jerky. Yeah, everyone can do it, but she always managed to get some really interesting flavors. This time around, I had no clue what she had used but I think she used some mountain mint for flavor. "So, how hae things been going for ye?" Knothead finally spoke up. "The usual. A'm doin fairly well although A still haen't bonded wi a dragon or gotten anywhaur close tae daein so."

"A wonder why that is."

"Well, A've been watchin the others an when they talk tae a dragon the dragon's face shows a certain type o recognition but when A talk to them they show nothin."

"Daen't dragons hae telepathic abilities?"

"Aye, they dae. Why? Are ye saying that A might not have that low level telepathic ability humans hae?"

"That could be it. It'd explain why ye haen't bonded yet."

"Aye, that it would," I leaned back and sighed before getting up and dusting myself off. "Either way, we need tae get gaein." Knothead stood up as well, "Right. Let's gae." With the logs already loaded into the cart, Knothead grabbed the basket and and threw the straps over his shoulders as I picked up on the handles of the cart. Even though we Vikings of Berk are strong, this isn't that easy. I did have some help though. I mainly focused on holding it up while Knothead pushed from behind. Sure, this probably could be done better but it's how we've always done it.

It was a slow process. By the time we got to the village, there was about three or four hours of sunlight left. Tired and starving due to our stupidity, we made our way to where we stored wood. It wasn't a fancy building (why would it be?). It was just a building that was missing a wall and divided into four sections: A place for carts, a place for longs, a place for medium/large branches, and a place for twings. Sorting and seperating was a job for someone else so we just dropped off the cart and basket and left. Real exciting, I know, but life is rarely exciting (well, at least for me now that the dragons are free).

Given that I've mentioned it about ten times now, I'll give you three guesses as to where we, well I, went next and the first two don't count. If you said "The Great Hall" (or something to that effect) then you're right! This mess hall/war room/general meeting area is just the place for a viking to go after a hard day's work. It would probably be somewhat empty right now as it wasn't time for the evening meal but you'd pretty much always find something there to eat. After all, not everyone eats on the same schedule.

When I got there, I discovered I was correct. There were about five other people in there aside from me. One particular person was asleep on a table. Whether he fell asleep due to exhaustion or from too much alcohol is hard to say. Either way, I walked up to the main table and looked to see what was left over from lunch. You see, our meals are usually held here in a buffet style and since it was a gathering of what everybody had worked for it was also like a potluck. Some people even cooked some food in their own style instead of handing off their catches or kills to the cooks. If you wanted some solitude than you had every right to keep your catch or kill to just feed yourself (or keep enough to feed yourself and give the rest to the cooks).

This works out perfectly because Berk operates under the "You don't work, you don't eat" principle. It's nowhere as harsh as it used to be since food isn't as scarce as it was before and there's usually enough people to handle the main jobs. Of course, the chances of someone not doing any work for the village for an entire day is a very rare sight. After all, even if you're just walking through the forest or exploring a nearby island with your dragon you can still (and most people do) collect herbs, roots, berries and the like. Of course, if your sick and can't work than we aren't going to starve you. We aren't heartless after all.

Anyway, I ended up having some cold chicken, fish (which was surprising as fish is a bit rarer in our meals now since most of it goes to the dragons), and bread. Admittedly, it was a little bland but it was food and it stopped my stomach from divorcing me so it's all good. As for a drink, I just had water. It's better for you anyway and I was somewhat dehydrated anyway. I'm also not a fan of alcohol so mead was out. There was milk, of course, but I decided to pass on it in this instance.

I casually walked around the village after finishing my meal. I greeted the few people that I passed and made mental notes about the dragons flying by. I had no particular goal or destination in mind. It was just something to do to pass the time. While I do have friends to talk to (like Knothead), I didn't talk to them much as I rarely had anything to say. My life had kind of fallen into this mind-numbing boredom after the dragons settled in. Such is life, I suppose. I wasn't wishing for something exciting, mind you. After all, I'm stuck on the ground and thus wouldn't be much use when compared to a dragon and his/her Rider. Besides, every time someone wishes for something exciting to happen in stories their village gets destroyed the next day or something.

For whatever reason, I was walking to the highest point in Berk. That was a good thing since the sun was setting and there's a nice viewpoint up there. I stopped on a bridge just a short ways from the peak and leaned against the railing. I never got tired of watching the sunset as it changed the sky into a fabulous array of orange, pink, and red.

Speaking of red, I caught a red, white, and black tail out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, Hiccup and Toothless where making one last flight before nightfall. Hiccup apparently saw me because he waved at me so I casually returned the gesture. Since I had nothing better to do, I lazily watched them fly around before sighing and leaving. It had been a long day and I was somewhat tired from gathering the wood so I headed straight for my home.

I turned onto my back and sighed. For whatever reason, I was having trouble going to sleep tonight. It had already been a couple of hours past sunset and even though I was tired I wasn't... well... tired. Figuring I wouldn't be able to win this one, I gave into my random bout of insomnia and got up. Figuring the best way to get some sleep was to dispel some energy, I threw on my usual dark blue short sleeved shirt and tan pants. I didn't bother with my fur vest (Hiccup isn't the only one who wears those) or arm warmers (those covered from my wrist to just below my elbow) because I doubted I would need them. I did strap on the belts around my thighs for similar reasons. I thought about taking my lantern but decided against it as well. I can see just fin by the moonlight.

I exited my house and headed to the road before going deeper into the village. As usual, I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. I figured I'd just walk around until I got tired.

It was a rather cool night tonight. Not cool enough to warrant the vest or arm warmers but it was still cool. Kind of like those mid Autumn days where it wasn't too warm but not too cold, you know? The kind of weather you wished you had more often. Even though I wished I was asleep, at least the weather was nice.

I greeted the guards who were on patrol when I passed them. Some asked what I was doing up so late so I told the the truth (and I would lie because...?). I also made note of the dragons sleeping in their... Okay, I don't remember their technical names (if they have one) so let's just stick with "houses". I found myself stopping at one point and looked up the hill to see Stoik's house. It hadn't changed at all. Since I didn't see Toothless anywhere, I assumed that he was sleeping inside and that Hiccup moved to the main floor. Given how doors work here (and possibly most places), Toothless could get out easily but he might have trouble getting in. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if he could get inside with no trouble.

With that random stop and train of thought out of the way, I continued my little midnight stroll. I didn't really think about anything. I just walked along and enjoyed weather and silence. I really suggest that you take strolls like this every now and then just to enjoy the scenery (midnight ones are best for the silence). It's very relaxing.

I kept walking until I came to the Great Hall. A light had caught my eye. I looked up the hill to see a figure entering the building. My interest peaked, I decided to follow them. After all, very few people were up at this hour and the guards don't randomly go into buildings.

I silently opened the door to see a familiar face sitting at a table and reading an equally familiar book. Staying silent, I walked in and carefully shut the door. The book they were reading (and possibly editing) was the new Dragon Manual. After the dragons settled in, we decided to create a new one. The old one was renamed "Dragon Fighting Tactics" as it contained information on how to fight them while the new one was named "Hot to Train Your Dragon" as it included information on just that.

"Evening, Hiccup," I announced my presence. Much to my joy, the Dragon Whisperer jumped slightly. "Oh. Hey, Arnbjörn. What are you doing up so late?" he asked as he turned his attention away from the book and towards me. "Just walkin around. Couldn't sleep. Whit about ye?"

"Same here. Since I couldn't sleep, I decided to check the book's section on Night Furies to make sure it's accurate."

"Hiccup, Toothless and ye wrote that entire section, an much o the others, how could it be inaccurate?"

"Oh, you never know," he left it at that. I most certainly didn't know and I think he didn't either. Curious, I stepped behind him and looked at the book to see what, if anything, he had changed.

_Night Fury/Lightning Person_

General: These dragons are one of the rarest and most intelligent. They can be found all over the world thanks to their Signaler Network which is used to make sure other dragons don't get lost out at sea or run into anything particularly dangerous. They are born and raised in "creches" that are usually located in mountainous regions near hot springs. When a Night Fury is old enough, they are Chosen to be one of these things: a Warrior, a Teacher, a Parent, an Explorer, a Healer, a Hunter, or a Signaler. The also have the largest wingspan and are the only dragon capable of vertical take off.

Personality: Like most dragons, Night Furies are eternally curious about the world and how things work. They are reclusive and, with the exception of those called to be Parents, Teachers, or Healers; tend to live alone for most of their lives. Due to their curiosity, they are also highly analytical and rather inventive. NOTE: Be careful when feeding them. If a Night Fury eats something they do not like, stand back. Flaming food flies fast.

He hadn't changed anything. The rest of the book went on to talk about their biology and flight. It was then that a funny thought cropped into my head. "Ye know, A've always wanted tae add 'Get Doun' next tae 'Night Fury'." I admited. "Why is that?" he asked. "Well, think about it. Every time someone screams 'Night Fury', someone else always screams 'Get doun'. Even when thay know the blast will come nowhere near them or when they knew Toothless is mostly harmless thay still said it."

Hiccup chuckled. His eyes became unfocused as he reminisced about times unknown to me, "You know, now that you mention it, Toothless has referred to himself as a 'Nightfurygetdown' on several occasion."

"See? It happens so often, so ritualistically, that Toothless thinks that's whit we call their species!" Hiccup chuckled some more as he looked down at the book. I think he thought about adding it but decided not to. He closed the book and got up, "Well, I better get back and try to get some sleep."

"So do A. Ye hae classes in the mornin, A'll probably be gaein tae yer classes in the mornin, and only Óðinn knows whit else the day has in store."

"I also have to get back in case Toothless wakes up and notes that I've been gone for too long."

"Aye. The last thing we need is a worried Night Fury runnin aboot the village." Hiccup chuckled once more as he walked out the door, "Good night, Arnbjörn." I waved at him, "Guid night, Hiccup." Thankfully, he left the door open so I could see. I followed him out and down the hill but, when he turned right to head to his home, I turned left away from my home. He seemed to have noticed this, "I thought you were going home." I turned to face him, "Oh, A shall, just not right now. A'm still not that tired." He nodded, "All right. See you in the morning!" I nodded back to him and was on my way.

I took the long way back to my house. I might have been walking for an hour after I left Hiccup before I reached my home again. Hoping I was sufficiently tired, I walked upstairs and changed into my night clothing. I hadn't described my room yet, have I? It isn't impressive, really. My bed was on the southern wall next to a window that looked out over the village. It was a nice view, really. Next to my bed was a small table that held various things. Right now, it held a book and a candle. On the east wall was my dresser (no points for guessing what it held). Lastly, there was an animal skin rug on the floor. See? Told you it wasn't impressive.

I laid on my bed and sighed. Today had been a long day and I was hoping that I'd get some rest. Thankfully, I finally did feel the veil of sleep get pulled over me. Unfortunately, my sleep wasn't a peaceful one.

I had nightmares that night.

* * *

><p>4040 words! Yes! This is almost double the length of Chapter 1! Speaking of which, I had originally planned for this chapter and "The New Dragon Training" to be one chapter. Time constraints forced me to split them though. I also found this chapter to be somewhat fun to write. Yeah, it might be dull but it's necessary as it showed Arnbjörn's life and hints at why he can't bond with a dragon. The full explanation for that won't come in story though (as it would be way too hard [if not impossible] to make it clear).<p>

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Until the next chapter!


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